Drolma wrote:Well that's not my point or the intention behind my post. If it's your point though, that's fine. Of course you're entitled to it.
Furthermore, it's not right to make assumptions about what I wrote just because of my background.
I didn't assume that. I'm sorry if what I said came across as harsh.
Questioning the intentions of Buddha's teaching doesn't seem to have any practical relevance to the Buddhist path. The Buddha's intent was profoundly and unimaginably good. What more could be said about it than that?
A person, especially a Mahayana Buddhist, might dig deep into the suttas and come up with some perplexing questions, like, "Why did the Buddha require a Maha-Brahma to beg him before he taught the Dhamma?" And, "Why did the Buddha require Ananda to beg him to teach for another couple decades, before he would do so?" Through doing this digging, one might start to question how noble the Buddha's intentions were... Asking questions like, "Why didn't the Buddha choose to live forever?" and "Why didn't the Buddha make EVERYONE enlightened?"
But these questions are best put aside. If anyone can be said to have been compassionate, it is Gautama, the greatest man to have ever lived. His mind is beyond comprehension, but his universal, boundless compassion is indubitable. If you understand this, then you should understand why this is a question that should be put aside.
The Buddha's teaching is meant to be learned and put into practice. The Buddha's intentions are something which led up to the development of his teaching, but are not exactly a part of the teaching itself. The Buddha's intentions fall outside of the Four Noble Truths and because of that, they are irrelevant.
Simsapa Sutta
Once the Blessed One was staying at Kosambi in the simsapa1 forest. Then, picking up a few simsapa leaves with his hand, he asked the monks, "What do you think, monks: Which are more numerous, the few simsapa leaves in my hand or those overhead in the simsapa forest?"
"The leaves in the hand of the Blessed One are few in number, lord. Those overhead in the simsapa forest are more numerous."
"In the same way, monks, those things that I have known with direct knowledge but have not taught are far more numerous [than what I have taught]. And why haven't I taught them? Because they are not connected with the goal, do not relate to the rudiments of the holy life, and do not lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding. That is why I have not taught them.
"And what have I taught? 'This is stress... This is the origination of stress... This is the cessation of stress... This is the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress': This is what I have taught. And why have I taught these things? Because they are connected with the goal, relate to the rudiments of the holy life, and lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding. This is why I have taught them.
"Therefore your duty is the contemplation, 'This is stress... This is the origination of stress... This is the cessation of stress.' Your duty is the contemplation, 'This is the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress.'"
Metta,
Individual